New report from The Health Foundation

A new report from The Health Foundation makes for stark reading, suggesting that by 2040, 9.1 million people in England will be living with a major illness.

This number equates to nearly 1 in 5 of the adult population, an increase of 37% – nine times the rate at which the working age population (20–69-year-olds) is expected to grow.

Much of the projected growth in illness relates to conditions such as anxiety and depression, chronic pain and diabetes, which are predominantly managed in primary care and the community.

This report emphasises the need for investment in public health services, focusing on prevention and early intervention to prevent people ever becoming ill, reduce the impact of ill health and improve the quality of people’s lives.